She's Got You
by HopelesslyChanny
Summary: It wasn't that I liked Chad...I just didn't want him with anyone else. But I didn't like him. Honestly.
1. Nightmarish Fantasies

**Okay, I'm gonna be honest and tell you that I'm in no position to start ANOTHER multi-chapter, but I couldn't resist. I've had the start of this in my notebook for months now and I really wanted to finish something, so here it is - chapter one of a new and exciting SWAC fic! WOO!**

***throws streamers into the air***

* * *

"Chad."

I couldn't believe it. I had been awake for exactly 3 hours and 17 minutes, and that was the first word I'd said today.

Chad.

It didn't seem fair. I shouldn't have even noticed that. But I did, and it bothered me. There was nothing I could do to stop the naïve little girl in me from voicing her thoughts: what if this was fate? What if this was a sign?

Well, I told myself, what if my unusually tasting pancakes were also a sign? I didn't need a psychic to tell me what was or wasn't meant to be. I could decide for myself, and I would start by walking into my dressing room without another word to the MacKenzie Falls heartthrob.

I mean jerkthrob.

"Sonny", he greeted me with the same glare that I had given him as he slammed the door of his new convertible. Then, as if he'd just remembered how much it had cost him, he stroked the car door softly with his fingertips.

Selfish, materialistic jerk.

I ignored him pointedly as I walked up the steps to my studio and slammed the door even louder than he had (ha, I win!). Grinning wildly, I made my way down the corridor until I reached mine and Tawni's "bedazzling room", a name only Miss Hart, herself, could come up with.

"Sonny! Oh, good, you're here." She jumped up from the couch and ran over to me as soon as I entered the room. "You'll never guess what just happened!"

I raised an eyebrow and immediately began firing ideas at her.

"You ran out of Coco Moco Coco."

"Oh my God, YES! It's terrible! I swear, I am totally quitting if Marshall doesn't- wait, that's not it. There's something even more important!"

"No way." I shook my head in disbelief. "Alright…um, the writers have decided to cut you out of a sketch?"

"Sonny, do you really think I'd let them do that? I'm not just anyone – I'm Tawni Hart!"

"Yeah yeah, I know. So what then? New boyfriend?"

"Well FINALLY! I was wondering how long it would take you! Okay, now guess who it is!"

"Oh Tawni…I really hate your guessing games."

"GUESS!" she urged me.

"One of the Teen Gladiators", I sighed. This all seemed very familiar. Tawni gets a new boyfriend, Tawni dumps aforementioned new boyfriend, Tawni's ex-boyfriend invites himself over to the Prop House a little more than necessary…it was routine by now. Even _I _knew her technique.

But she had clearly realized that I, being quite naïve by nature, wasn't going to simply guess this one.

"No! Sonny…it's Chad!"

It was only 9:05 and I was already sick of hearing that name.

I stood, speechless, wondering if there was any socially acceptable way of reacting in this situation. Not that there was anything wrong with…Chawni (how had I come up with that in less than a second?) but somehow it just felt wrong.

Sure, Tawni's flings didn't last long and Chad wouldn't know a long-term relationship if it punched him in the face. Sure, they were rivals and would probably break up before we even knew it. Sure, she looked so happy…but…

Oh, why couldn't I have just hugged her and been a good friend? But no, I had to stand there and think it all over – as if _I_ was the one being asked out! My eyes sort of glossed over, as Tawni was quick to point out, and I went off into a nightmarish fantasy of my best friend dating…well, essentially my worst enemy.

**(Fantasy Starts)**

"See, I told you we'd be late if you spent an hour picking out your outfit!"

Chad rolls his eyes. "Yeah? Well you took ages doing your hair! Mirror hog!"

"_I'm_ the mirror hog?! Chaddy, I know how long it takes you to do _that _in the morning!" She flicks his blonde bangs out of his eyes.

They look over at the newlyweds, dancing happily across the center of the room.

Chad's face breaks into an easy smile. "Someday, that'll be us."

His girlfriend pauses, searching his eyes for a hint of humor. He looks back at her. She swallows down the lump in her throat and asks him, "Wow, Cooper, is this a proposal?"

"No! What? Of course not!"

Her face falls at his apparent dismay.

Seeing this, Chad quickly backtracks. "No, Tawn, that's not what I meant. I mean that when I do it, I want it done right. I want it to be perfect."

"Oh Chad…" she wraps his arms around him.

"I promise – it'll be perfect."

**(Fantasy Ends)**

I blinked at Tawni like a deer stuck in the headlights.

"Well? What do you think?"

"I…I gotta go. I have a…a thing. Yeah, I have this thing on, it's really serious and if I don't get there now, I could be, um…late. Yeah, that would be awful. Gotta go!"

I pulled open the door and fell into the hallway, tumbling face first onto Chad Dylan Cooper.

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**No, I haven't switched sides! I'm still (hopelessly, if you didn't realise that yet! xP) Channy obsessed.**

**Oh, and I tried using a random name generator to come up with a title for this. One of the suggestions was "Lights of Husband". I'm not sure what that means, but aren't you glad I didn't use it? HA ;D**

******So leave me a review if you liked it! ****Thankies! :)**


	2. Four Little Letters

**Hey hey everyone! Thank you SO MUCH for the alerts, reviews and faves (wow, already!)! I really appreciate it :D**

**I don't have anything planned out yet, but I think winging it is turning out quite well. Lol.**

* * *

"Whoa, slow down, Sonny." He lifted himself off the ground effortlessly, and then helped me up. "Where you off to?"

Anywhere but here. That, of course, was the true answer, but I didn't feel like explaining my mental breakdown to him – mostly because he was the cause of it. Why? I had no clue. I didn't even want to think about Chad. Or Tawni. Or both of them…together. All I wanted was to get away from this sudden wave of madness.

"I'm sorry, Chad", I put on my best "sophisticated" voice, "but I really have to get going now. I'll be seeing you."

I tried to scurry away as quickly as I could, but he grabbed my arm before I could escape. He spun me around to face him. His eyes looked gentle, unlike the usual sparkly Chad ones (okay, ONE) that I knew so well. And I would know, seeing as I'd been looking into those eyes since the moment I met him.

He opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again. This went on for another few seconds – him moving his lips like a fish and me taking this opportunity to stare at them.

"Okay, um…Sonny…" he struggled to find the right words, "I need to tell you something."

"Can it wait?" I was desperate to escape yet again.

"No. I have to tell you now. Like, right now. Okay. Here I go. Gonna tell you now."

I eyed him, expressionless. I had a feeling I already knew anyway, so who would I be hurting by sticking around for the big announcement?

Oh yeah – myself.

"Sonny. Tawni and I are…hey speaking of Tawni, you seen her today? Gosh we should really go look for her…"

"I know Chad, you and Tawni are dating."

The look on his face actually made me feel a little better. Shocked Chads can really make your day sometimes.

He seemed at a loss for words as I turned my back to him and walked off, leaving him to do his crazy fish lip routine all on his own.

* * *

I tried to ignore the seemingly constant footsteps outside the supply closet, but it was hard to do. Every voice and sound from the hallway reminded me that out there…people were living. Some people even finding new boyfriends. I was the only one hiding from all this _life_.

I couldn't stand to think that Chad, of all people, was the reason for this. That someone so egotistic **(A/N: wow, looking up this word on the internet led to quite a bit of confusion)** could send my thoughts into overdrive and eventually, myself into a closet. So I told myself I was exhausted. I decided I wasn't getting enough sleep so my mind was just jumping to conclusions.

Yes, that had to be it. There was NO WAY it could be anything else…anything _Chad_-related.

"Don't say his name", I whispered to myself.

From now on, I would just beep it out like they do on TV. *BEEP* Dylan Cooper.

Yeah, that works. It's actually kind of easy to remember. It's four little letters…just like his name.

* * *

"Sonny? You in here?"

I opened my eyes to the sound of someone knocking on the closet door. Wow, how long had I been in here?

"Sonny, look, I know you're here. You don't even have to answer. You came in here once after a bad show, remember? And then I found you and promised I wouldn't give away your hiding spot."

I listened to Grady's reassuring voice and began to feel a little better. At least I had put my trust in the right person. Sighing, I forced myself to get up and unlock the door.

Thankfully, it was just him. I'm not sure what I would have done if he had brought Tawni or Chad – I MEAN *BEEP* - with him…

"Hey."

"Hey." I replied, smiling weakly as we sat down together on the cleaning supplies.

He smiled back at me and I could just imagine him handing me a tissue and telling me to "let it all out".

But he didn't. Instead, he moved a couple of spray bottles out of the way and lay down on his back. "You know, before I came to So Random, I lived in Florida." He looked up at the ceiling, studying the pattern. "There was this girl I really liked. She was funny, beautiful…you know, all the usual stuff."

I watched him wordlessly.

"We didn't really talk much. Then one day, I finally got the courage to ask her out." He laughed dejectedly. "When I walked up to her locker, she was kissing the captain of the football team."

The room turned silent for a moment before he continued. "I just keep thinking – what if I had been there five minutes earlier? Five days? Would it have been different?"

At this, he turned to look me in the eyes. "Because I was too shy to tell her, I lost her. And now I'm here."

"You're…you're here because of her?" I asked, his words finally sinking in.

"Well I sure as heck wasn't planning to leave when I still had a chance."

I nodded, understanding his logic. I had never thought about the past lives of my friends – the lives they all gave up to be here. But now it seemed that maybe their lives were what had forced them here.

"Sonny", he said to me, "I know you missed your chance…but that doesn't mean you won't get another one."

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**Aw, a little backstory for ya! Courtesy of moi ; Also...**

**1. If anyone has any title ideas for this story, let me know! (I will probably change it unless you guys think it's good, haha.)  
2. Notice the Guess Who's Coming to Guest Star reference? Smart, eh? XD**  
**3. I've become obsessed with Austin and Ally. For me, it's like the new SWAC (not that anything could ever replace SWAC!) and I'm planning to write a few Auslly fics later :) Let me know if you're a fan too!**

**Thanks for reading! ^_^**


	3. A Lot To Take In

**Hey hey, I'm back with another update! I suppose this is a filler in some respects, but it_ is_ quite an important filler. Lol.  
Hopefully I'll get to work on the next chapter soon! I'm just so distracted by this Auslly stuff... XDDD**

**Oh, and there may be a mixture of British and American spellings here. I prefer using "Mom" for SWAC coz it sounds more like the way Sonny says it. Enjoy! (:**

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My alarm clock's shrill ringing forced me to roll over, hitting it a couple of times before it shut itself off.

"I am not going anywhere today." I told myself, hoping it would sink in.

As much as I wanted to be on the live So Random recording today, the possibility of running into Tawni and her now sickeningly sweet boyfriend (ah, how people changed) was enough to make me pull the covers over my head and hide from the world.

"Sweetie", Mom called from the hallway, knocking lightly on the door, "you have to get up today. It's a big day for you. I don't care how tired you are – if you're not up by eight, I'm not driving you!"

I groaned loudly. "Mom, that totally defeats the purpose! If I get up late, I'll NEED you to drive me to work!"

What kind of crazy 'mom logic' was this?

"Well what a shame, I guess you're walking!" She bellowed, walking off to the kitchen.

Ha, she was so funny sometimes, thinking I was going back there. I'd had enough of this…and it had only been one day.

How the heck was I going to make it through the week?

* * *

"Here…I thought you might want something to drink, seeing as you haven't even had breakfast yet."

I sat up in bed, taking the warm mug from Mom's hands. "Yeah, I'm...a little behind today."

"No kidding."

We sat like that for a while, quietly sipping our drinks as the clock counted down the seconds until I would be late for work. It was now 8:15, meaning I had less than an hour to eat, shower, get dressed and somehow get myself to the studio...so, in other words, I wasn't going today.

It was oddly relaxing. Even with the silence lingering above us, I was still perfectly happy here. I probably just hadn't had a sick day in a while.

"So you wanna tell me what's up?"

I looked at Mom, wondering how to say this. Of course I needed to tell her – after all, Grady was the only one who knew. And he was a guy. Obviously I needed another opinion on the matter.

But where to start? With the fact that suddenly, Chad being with another – by saying another, did I really mean someone other than me? – girl was driving me insane? I didn't even know how to say it. My mother and I hadn't exactly talked about boys before...well, she'd tried once, but that hadn't gotten her anywhere - my personal life had been pretty much nonexistent at that time.

So I took a deep breath and let the story come pouring out of me.

"Well Chad was really getting to me yesterday and then Tawni told me they were dating and I guess I was just really exhausted and there was so much news and I couldn't handle it and somehow I ended up in the supply closet and then Grady had to come and get me and I was really upset because I missed rehearsal and nobody else came to look for me so I had to spend all day there because I couldn't get it unlocked!" I finished, wondering where the little white lies had come from.

As far as I remembered, I wasn't at all upset about missing my rehearsals. In fact, it was probably the only good thing about my day.

And not getting the door unlocked?

_Yeah, right._

But then again...if I hadn't been worried about either of those things, what could it have been?

"Chad."

As soon as Mom said it, it hit me – Chad, with his sparkling blue eyes and his styled blonde hair, was the reason for my meltdown.

Chad.

Chad Chad Chad.

CHAD!

Of all the people in this world, he was the one I liked? MY RIVAL? This was so strange that my mind couldn't even grasp the concept yet. Sure, I'd been IN LOVE with him when I'd first arrived at So Random, but that was back when I didn't know just what a jerk he could be. And now I knew...but somehow I could still like him after all of this! I was slightly disgusted with myself.

_This jerk is the guy you like?_, a voice inside of me sneered.

Ugh, I was right (well, part of me, anyway) – I had most likely lost my mind.

Mom was watching me with a peculiar expression on her face, halfway between amusement and anxiety. I guess I did look a bit funny, my eyebrows doing a wild dance across my face as my emotions changed. Hate – first towards Chad for everything he ever did or didn't do, then towards myself when I realised that I liked him. Jealousy – something I'd never felt before but suddenly seemed to be feeling a lot. Hurt – how could he do this to me? Sure, maybe he didn't feel the same, but didn't my mental well-being mean anything to him? He could have at least hidden this whole 'Chawni' thing from me!

"Sweetie, I know it must be a lot to take in..."

Ha! A lot to take in?!

That was the last straw for me. Suddenly finding the energy, I sprung out of bed and ran through the house, slamming the front door loudly on my way out.


	4. Wearing Llamas

**Hey hey! Sorry to keep you lovely people waiting! :)**

**Hope you enjoy the chappie!**

* * *

People had been giving me weird looks all morning. However, it had just gotten considerably worse as everyone was coming out for an early lunch.

I wasn't wearing any makeup and my hair wasn't perfect. That much would have been alright, but the fact that I was still in my pajamas, wandering around the neighbourhood, probably didn't help.

But all these looks were easy to ignore since I had more important things on my mind.

Before I ran off, I must've absentmindedly grabbed my phone. It had been going off for the past twenty minutes with incoming texts and calls – all from Mom. It wasn't often that I ignored her, but today it just seemed easier than explaining something I didn't quite understand myself.

My ringtone played again and I hovered my finger over the "decline" button.

And then I saw the photo.

Why would he be calling me? _Why?_ Had one of my cast mates put him up to this? No, that would be silly – they all hate him. Except Tawni. But Tawni could call me from her phone, why did she need Chad?  
So...wrong number, then. Of course, he had probably just hit the wrong button...but I wouldn't be on his speed dial.  
Maybe it was an emergency?

Thoughts of Chad in all sorts of distressing situations forced me to answer the call.

"He...llo?"

"Hey, Sonny."

"Hey."

"Um."

"Um.."

I was beginning to wonder why he'd called, but then he seemed to find his voice again.

"Where are you?"

Clearly I wasn't at the studio. He knew that, didn't he? So what did it matter? I could be out of town, for all he cares. Out of the country. He shouldn't care – he _doesn't_ care.

At least that's what I tried to tell myself as my heart beat wildly in my chest.

"I'm..." I gazed at the cafe nearest to me, "I'm at Lustrio Cafe."

"I'll come and get you", was his immediate response.

There was no way I'd heard that correctly.

"Sorry, you'll what?"

"I said I'll come and get you. Gosh Sonny, are you deaf or something? What's the address?"

I hadn't even noticed my lips moving, but apparently I'd managed to tell him the street name without even realising it. I didn't want to tell him. I didn't want him to know...but my brain had other plans. It was already scheming, like a plotting girlfriend in a movie who tries to get the heroine together with some random guy...

My brain had decided it didn't need me anymore – I was only a body, what did I know? More importantly, what could I do? Probably not that much, compared to my overactive mind.

But there was one thing I did know. And that was that Chad couldn't see me like this. I was in my favourite llama pajamas and brown ugg boots, with my hair unbrushed to the point that there could be a nest on my head and I wouldn't even notice. All that was bad enough as it was, but there was also the problem of me not being able to face Chad.

I had accomplished the first step – talking to him. Although I'd done it over the phone, it had still been talking.

But there was no way I was going to look him in the eyes after all of these recent discoveries...

"Wait, Chad. Please don't drive all the way over here..."

"Oh too late, already in the car!"

"Chad-"

"What's that? Can't hear you, starting the engine!"

"Stop that!"

"Whoops, did I just step on the gas pedal? Well I guess I'm on my way!"

He hung up, making car noises in the background. I groaned – he was so immature. And stubborn. And cute.

I wandered around the cafe area, looking as if I was busy examining the menus or special boards. But really, I was just people watching.

It was much more fun that I thought it would be – for a minute, I even considered it as a new hobby – but I had to be careful who I watched. Some people would just look away awkwardly, others would actually walk up and confront me. Maybe I looked threatening in my llama pajamas, a bit like a mental hospital escapee.

"What you lookin' at, girly?" A gruff man in his forties stalked up to me, his fists dangerously close to my face.

"Um...nothing...I was just..."

"Why you in pajamas?"

I felt obliged to answer – not because I respected him and actually felt he deserved a reply...no. More because his knuckles cracking reminded me of the sound of broken bones.

"Um...early morning pajama party? All the teens are doing it these days, it's super trendy."

I sighed inwardly as his fists relaxed a little.

"Oh, thought so. My kid's been dressin' up, too. Good to know she ain't alone, eh?" He chuckled.

I laughed along with him, trying not to let my fear show.

"Well you take care now, girly."

He walked off, actually smiling. It seemed strange, but I had actually made this man's day by embarrassing myself in front of the rest of the city. How pleasant.

I grinned too, leaning against the cafe wall. The sun was coming out now, and so were the people. But it wasn't too bad – being stared at was really just a matter of getting accustomed. And then, you could just stare back. It made people uncomfortable, which in turn made me feel a little better.

"Sonny!"

Here it was – no escape. No hiding the impromptu one person pajama party now.

Reluctantly, I approached his car, trying to act like I wasn't wearing llamas on my body. I giggled a little at the situation I was in.

When he reached over to open the door for me, I gasped.

Chad Dylan Cooper was wearing panda pajamas.

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**Well, did ya like it? ;P I used a random name generator (AGAIN) for the cafe name, so don't flame me for lack of creativity today! xD**

**I'm a bit busy this week but I'll try to update soon - after all, I have an idea brewing! :D xx**


	5. Pluses and Minuses

**I am so so sorry for keeping you waiting! I've currently on school holidays and have pretty much spent this first week being sick. *sarcastic woohoo***

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter and hope it doesn't disappoint!**

* * *

"Look, does it really matter?"

"Yes!" I laughed, spinning myself around in the passenger seat so I was facing him.

He gave me a quick glance, then turned back to the road. He sighed.

"Fine. But don't you _dare_ tell anyone."

I nodded animatedly. If he really hadn't told this story to anyone, there had to be a good reason. And I wouldn't turn down a good story – especially a Chad Dylan Cooper childhood flashback.

"So", he began, "I was six at the time." He smiled at the memory. "We went to the zoo to celebrate my first acting job – The Goody Gang. But you probably know that."

He winked and I gritted my teeth at yet another Chawni reminder.

Was he doing this on purpose?

He paused, giving me a curious look, but continued when I didn't respond. "My parents were really excited about it, so they let me go anywhere I wanted to. I'd...I'd never been to a zoo before", he confessed. "So we went to see every single animal until we reached the pandas."

We both looked at his pajamas. The pandas were all smiling and cavorting around in the grass (it was very detailed for sleeping clothes). It was all very cheerful looking. For a moment, I wondered if he wore these every night, or if he slept in...something else.

I cleared my throat, hoping now, more than ever, that nobody could read my mind.

But Chad wasn't even looking at me. He was off in his dream world; his memories. Off in his panda enclosure with his happy, bamboo-eating friends. And here I was – a desperate passenger, thinking about his pajamas.

"Continue", I muttered, trying to tune my thoughts out.

"Uh...yeah. Sorry." Chad snapped back to reality. He turned at the light and before I knew it, we had pulled up to my driveway.

All too soon.

"There's not really much to tell. I fell in love with panda bears and my mom bought me these for my seventh birthday. End of story."

I shook my head, "No, not end of story. That's not it, is it, Chad?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Because you promised to tell me!" I pouted at him, hoping he'd give in. Puppy dog faces seemed to work with him.

He narrowed his eyes at me. It seemed as though he was deliberating, but it was hard to tell - he had a good poker face. Surely that would come in handy sometime in his life.

I just wanted to be there to see it.

"Fine. But then you have to tell me something."

"Whoa, we never agreed to these extra rules!" I scorned.

We glared at each other until he could no longer keep his eyes open. Finally, he blinked.

"Ha! Now tell me."

He sighed. "Fine. The day after my birthday, my mom left."

The smile disappeared from my face. I desperately wanted to say something, to break the silence. But my lips wouldn't move.

In a way, it was good that I was speechless. That way I wouldn't say something stupid or pointless. _I'm sorry?_ What for? It wasn't my fault. I hadn't told his mom to leave. _I'm sure she'll come back._ Sure, after ten years, that's incredibly likely.

_Why didn't you tell me?_

This one hurt the most – he didn't trust me. I had convinced – almost forced – him to tell me one of his deepest secrets which he probably hadn't ever told anyone else, and now he'd regret it. If he wasn't ready to tell me, why had I pushed him? Maybe I didn't deserve to be told at all.

"Yeah, well, that's why I wear the panda pajamas, okay? Look, I'll call you later. I just need to sort some things out."

I nodded softly. I still couldn't form a coherent reply, so I pushed down the door handle and stumbled out.

I ran straight into the apartment block and slammed the door shut. My knees gave out under me and I slid down the wall, no longer able to hold it in.

"Sonny!"

"Leave me alone!" I hadn't noticed how my head had fallen into my hands.

"Sweetie, I can't – you're blocking the doorway for Mrs Gannon."

I looked up at our elderly neighbor who was standing right above me. She didn't seem bothered at all. In fact, she smiled politely, inching the door open to squeeze herself and her enormous handbag through the doorway.

"You really should be careful where you have your breakdowns, honey."

My mom had taken the place of Mrs Gannon and was holding her hand out for me to take. I looked down again.

"Alright then." She sat down beside me, dusting herself off. "What happened?"

"I screwed some things up."

"With Chad."

Incredibly insightful, mother. Then again, it was extremely obvious – what else would I be so upset over? A broken nail or a bad hair day?

_I wasn't Tawni_, I reminded myself yet again. Not only were Chad and I not dating, but I also wasn't a total drama queen or a makeup goddess. I wasn't one to obsess over simple, unimportant things. _I wasn't Tawni_.

I was, however, Sonny Munroe. That had both its pluses and its minuses.

I decided to draw up a mental chart to calm myself down.

_Pluses_

_-Funny_

_-On So Random!_

_-Sunny_

Somehow, these and all the other ones I came up with were all overruled by a single minus.

_-Doesn't have Chad._

* * *

**Leave a review! :)**

**I'll try to update soon - after all, this actually gives me a REAL sense of accomplishment, rather than the false one I get from playing Sims 3 all day ;P**


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